Information

Grey Market & Black Market - Disclaimer

Author: Hikvision Australia
Date Posted:22 September 2017

Disclaimer from Hikvision Australia themselves!

Valued Hikvision Oceania Customers:

Hikvision Australia P/L only sells Hikvision products through authorised distributors. We value them and are proud of the relationships we have developed to help expand the use of our innovative video surveillance products and solutions. These authorised distributors have committed to serve as a link in the Hikvision Australia value chain by providing excellent pre- and post-sale customer service. Please refer to our website for our current authorised distributors, www.hikvision.com.au.

Unfortunately, not every company advertising Hikvision products has been authorised by Hikvision to advertise or sell those products in Australia. We hereby warn potential customers against purchasing these “black market” or “grey market” products from unauthorised channels.

Unauthorised channels are selling counterfeit, used, modified or damaged products. Many of the products sold by unauthorised channels have been altered in various ways, meaning that they are unsuitable for Australian conditions and may be non-compliant with Australian Standards. Also, because these products are no longer in original factory condition, Hikvision warranty is void, per company policy.

Purchasing through authorised Hikvision Australia Distributors ensures that you receive the benefits of our technical support, project registration, dealer loyalty programs and advance replacement of any camera, recorder, video server, or software, in addition to Hikvision Australia’s full warranty.

Additionally, products purchased through unauthorised channels can have technical characteristics that differentiate them from products sold through authorised Oceania channels. If for example your product has “CH” in the serial number, or if it has a mixed OSD (Chinese and English) and/or if it cannot be upgraded to the latest English-language firmware, or the labels are in Chinese, you are most likely using a “black market” or “grey market” product. Restoring such product to its original condition is a factory process and will result in a Chinese interface. As Hikvision warranty is void in this case, you must rely on the unauthorised channel for any service, support, and warranty.

Hikvision Australia will be using all the regulatory and legal channels at its disposal to stop the importation of these goods. These products, manufactured for the Chinese domestic market, are damaging the reputation of Australia’s security installers who have not been made aware that they are inadvertently supporting potentially dangerous products sold by unauthorised channels. These channels are simply profiteering, and putting “a quick buck” before the Australian Public's long-term security.

Before purchasing “black market” or “grey market” products from an unauthorised channel, installers should ask themselves if it’s worth risking their reputation to offer their customers a potentially faulty and unsupported product of uncertain origin, and the possibility that the product gets recalled. All installers should ask themselves if they are willing to risk their job by knowingly buying a “back market” or “greymarket” product that could fail to safeguard the assets it is supposed to protect. In addition to these considerations, it is important to note that the firmware on such products cannot be upgraded to genuine Hikvision firmware, ultimately resulting in an unusable device.

Hikvision continually works to eliminate unauthorised distributors who engage in illegal practices from the marketplace, including taking legal action. We send cease and desist letters to Australian distributors who sell Hikvision products without authorisation. We trace all serial numbers when we receive tech support calls and track the products back to their source and reserve our right to cut those distributors out of our authorised network. Most importantly, we will be seeking assistance from Australian government agencies to prevent further importation of these misleading goods and to recall those that have already been sold.

If you have any questions or concerns about the official status of your Hikvision distributor before your purchase, please refer to the “Partners” tab on our website www.hikvision.com. If you have further questions please contact Hikvision Australia Customer Service at salesau@hikvision.com.

Thank you for your continued support of our industry – and Hikvision’s leading video surveillance and security products.